Electric fuse-box.



No. 665,352. Patented Jan. I, l90l. E. W. STULL.

ELECTRIC FUSE BOX.

(Application filed Mar. 21, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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EMME'IT W. STULL, OF JOlINSTOvVN,

PATENT OFFICE.

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC FUSE-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 665,352, dated January1, 1901.

Application filed March 21, 1900. Serial No. 9,558. tNo modem T ctZZwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMMETT W. STULL, of Johnstown,in the county ofOambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Electric Fuse-Boxes,

of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification.

to My invention has relation to electric fuseboxes, and moreparticularly to fuse-boxes of that type in which the fuse-holders areautomatically thrown apart to increase the distance between them uponthe destruction of the fuse to prevent the formation of arcs betweenthem.

One object of my invention is mainly to provide means for facilitatingthe return of the holders to position to receive a new fuse,

which will obviate the necessity for manually returning the same to andholding the same in such position while the fuse is being placed.

Other objects of my invention relate to the improvement of variousspecific features of the device, as will hereinafter appear.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the combination,with a pair of pivoted fuse-holders arranged in a suitable box orclosure and means whereby said hold- 0 ers are thrown away from eachother upon the destruction of the fuse, of a pivoted door forming a partof said closure, and means whereby as said door is opened for thepurpose of replacing a destroyed fuse said hold- 5 ers will beautomatically brought to and held in position to receive such fuse.

The invention also consists in means for holding the door in both openedand closed positions and in certain other novel features 40 ofconstruction, combination, and arrangement,all as hereinafter described,and pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

5 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved fuse-boxwith the door removed and the fuse-holders in their normal or workingpositions. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isafront elevation of the box with the door closed, and Fig.

4 is a detail view showing the fuse.

The letter A designates a suitable box or closure, which is preferablyof metal, with a lining A of refractory material. 13 is a door whichforms one side of the said box, being 5 pivoted at its lower edgeportion on a pin or pintle b, which is supported in lugs b of the box.

0 is a spring-guide which is pivoted at one end to a lug c at the lowercentral portion of the door, its opposite end working loosely in atapered opening 0' in a lug c on the box.

D is a spring which is coiled around said guide, with a bearing at oneend against the door and at the opposite end against the lug c Thisspring, as will be seen, in its normal position (shown in Fig. 2) exertsits force to hold the door closed; but when the door is swung open to aposition at substantially right angles to its closed position thepivoted end of the guide will be moved past the center of the pin orpintle b to the'position indicated in dotted lines, and said spring willact to hold the door open.

E E designate two fuse-holders, which consist of arms of conductingmaterial pivoted at their lower ends on pins or studs E, also ofconducting material, and supported in lugs or castings E which aresecured to but insulated from the inner rear wall of the box. Theterminals of the line in which the instrument is placed are respectivelyconnected to these lugs or castings through the insulating-plugs F. Gare coiled springs which act upon said arms to release them, the armsbeing normally held against the action of said springs by the loop-formfuse H, which is slipped over the ends of said arms.

I I designate brushes which insure electrical contact between the arms Eand the 0 lugs E independently of the pins or studs E.

K K designate two plungers which extend through the bottom wall of thebox and whose upper ends are provided with heads K, which are preferablyof fiber or other non-conduct- 5 ing material. L L are projections onthe bottom edge of the door for engagement, respectively, with the lowerends of the said plungers.

M is a division-piece of refractory material, which is placed verticallybetween the arms E E, with its upper portion in the form of a trough.The purpose of this device and of the peculiar shape of its upperportion is to break any are that might attempt to form between thefuse-holders as the latter separate, the two edges of the trough portionforming a double barrier of a peculiarly effective character.

N is a vent-opening in the top of the box.

WVhen a fuse burns out, the springs G at once throw the arms E into thepositions shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, with projections E thereofresting upon the heads of the plungers K. WVhen the door Bis opened forthe purpose of replacing the fuse, the projections L force the plungersupwardly, and thereby move the arms E into position to receive the fuse,and as the door is held open by the action of the spring D said arms areheld in such position while the fuse is being placed. This relieves theoperator from the necessityot' having to hold said arms with one hand.

I do not wish to limit myself to the particularconstruction andcombination of parts which I have herein shown and described, as it isobvious that various changes may be made in the details thereof withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in thefollowing claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a fuse-box, the combination with pivoted fuse-holders, and meansfor automatically increasing the separation of said fuseholders upon thedestruction of a fuse, of a door forminga portion of said box, and meansactuated by the opening of said door for returning said holders toposition to receive a new fuse.

2. In a fuse-box, the combination with pivoted fuse-holders, and meansfor automatically increasing the separation of said holders upon thedestruction of a fuse, of a pivoted door forming a part of said box, andmembers engaging the said holders in their separated positions andactuated by the opening of said door, to return theholders to positionto receive a new fuse.

3. In a fuse-box, the combination with a pair of pivoted spring-actuatedfuse-holders, normally held against the action of their springs by thefuse, a pivoted door forming a portion of said box, lifting devices forsaid holders, and means on said door arranged to engage and actuate saidlifting devices when the door is opened.

4. In a fuse-box, the combination with a pair of pivoted spring-actuatedfuse-holders, normally held against the action of their springs by thefuse, a pivoted door forming a portion of said box, lifting devices forsaid holders, and means on said door arranged to engage and actuate saidlifting devices when the door is opened, together with a spring arrangedto hold said door in both open and closed positions.

5. In a fuse-box having a swinging door, the combination of pivoted fuseholders, springs for separating the same, plungers engaged by saidholders in their separated positions, and means on said door arranged toengage said plungers when the door is opened.

6. In a fuse-box, the combination with a pair of fuse-holders, and meansfor automatically separating the same when the fuse is destroyed, ofmeans whereby the act of obtaining access to said box to replace thefuse automatically returns said fuse-holders to position.

'7. In a fuse-box, the combination of a pair of pivoted fuse-holders,and springs for separating said holders upon the destruction of a fuse,of a division-plate of refractory material between said arms and havinga broad trough-like upper portion.

8. A fuse-box having a door pivoted atone of its edges, a spring-guidepivotally connected to said door at one end and loosely engaging a fixedportion of the box at its other end, said guide being arranged to havethat end which is connected to the door carried past the center of thedoor-pivot as the door is opened or closed, and a spring on said guideand bearing at one end directly against the door and at its other endagainst the box.

9. In a fuse-box, the combination with pivoted fuse-holders, springsforseparating said holders and having their action normally restrained bythe fuse, a hinged or pivoted door formingpart of the said box,andlifting members which are moved upwardly against the fuse-arms by theoutward movement of the said door.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

EMMET" IV. S'IULL.

W'itnesses:

B. M. SMITH, H. W. SMITH.

